Motiejunas sees long road yield big step with first start

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After going with Carlos Delfino for three games, Kevin McHale has opted to put Lithuanian forward Donatas Motiejunas in the starting lineup. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Donatas Motiejunas’ first coach in Lithuania never minced words with his young players about the discipline required to have success or the long odds against attaining it.

“He said ‘From all of you, all the players, if it comes out with one good player, I will be blessed,’ ” Motiejunas recalled. “And every time he talked like that, I knew it was going to be me. I just knew it, and I knew I would give everything to reach this.”

While Motiejunas remains a work in progress, he will take a significant step along that path toward success with his first NBA career start Wednesday against the Bucks at Toyota Center.

It was not an elevation accompanied by great fanfare. Rockets coach Kevin McHale, in fact, left it to the media gaggle Tuesday to inform Motiejunas, the 7-footer acquired from the Timberwolves on draft day in 2011, that he would start at power forward against Milwaukee.

Motiejunas took the news in stride, in keeping with his nose-to-the-grindstone approach toward life in the NBA. That’s not to say, though, that it won’t be a significant moment or that he takes the news, as one bystander suggested, in a businesslike fashion.

“It’s not a business approach,” he said. “It’s more of the approach that I try to show how much the will and hard work can take any player. … I don’t try to put it up like a special thing, I try to go and play my game. That’s all I need to do: Go hustle, try to help the team win, hope for the best.”

Motiejunas moves into the starting spot held since the trade of Patrick Patterson to the Sacramento Kings by veteran Carlos Delfino. It will be his first foray into an NBA starting lineup after just 21 games, but he can call on years as a starter on the international level as well as his stints in the NBA’s Summer League and Developmental League.

“When you start from the bench, you can be more relaxed,” he said. “When you’re a starter, you have to be more focused. I know how to play from a starting position. It takes more concentration, that’s for sure.”

The Rockets will press him into that role as they continue revamping their rotation in the wake of trading Patterson, backup center Cole Aldrich and backup guard Toney Douglas to the Kings, and forward Marcus Morris to the Suns.

Those trades brought veteran Francisco Garcia, Tyler Honeycutt (since shipped to the D-League) and rookie Thomas Robinson to the Rockets, and McHale indicated that it’s time for the newcomers to begin contributing.

“Toney, Pat and Marcus Morris, they were part of our nine-man rotation, so 33 percent of your rotation has changed,” McHale said. “The new guys are going to play, and (Motiejunas) is going to get a start. The guys are going to have to step up and play. That’s all.”

Motiejunas may be best known among the changing cast of the current Rockets team for his request to be demoted to the D-League so he could get some playing time. With that in mind, his teammates are encouraged that he gets a chance to start tonight.

“He’s worked really hard and he’s earned that spot,” said forward Chandler Parsons. “He’s had a couple of great days of practice. I think he’ll take advantage of the opportunity he has, and we’ll try to make it as easy as possible for him.”

While he has averaged only 5½ minutes in 21 games, with his longest stint being 23 minutes with 11 points in the Rockets’ loss Saturday to the Wizards, Motiejunas “is probably our hardest worker,” said guard Jeremy Lin. “I think he’ll be fine. We’re all excited for him. We all feel like he’s deserved this, for sure.”

He continued banging away in practice Tuesday as McHale again focused on low-post drills to work Robinson into the offense.

“I played with the top guys like Patrick and Marcus and Cole — all the physical guys,” Motiejunas said. “They were preparing us. Now I have to help (Robinson) and the other guys prepare for what we are about to face.”

Tonight’s start is the first of what he hopes will be many milestone moments in his career.

“I’m not halfway to where I want to be,” he said. “I will never stop working. I’m trying to improve as much as I can. God gave me a gift that I can play basketball, and I don’t want to finish my career and think that I did not do something. I want to reach the maximum.”